Dragon

Non-canon extrapolation!!!: This article contains a substantial amount of extrapolated non-canon material that has been merged with canon material. In order that readers are aware of what is canon and what is not, this article needs to be edited so that canon is separated from non-canon in a clear way. Consider starting, or adding to, the Dragon/Theories article to store non-canon material that attempts to answer unanswered questions about this article's subject through the use of extrapolation of known facts.

Contents

The Dragon is arguably the most awesome creature to walk on the face of Titan. All are aware of their existence and some have knowledge of their various habitats, natures and stature. Only very few have met these beasts and lived to tell the tale. Their links with the civilised peoples go back thousands of years with ancient history alluding to the great alliances between Men and Dragons in ages long past. The scholar, Landor Shanzul, was said to have learned much of these beasts through visits with the order of the priesthood of Kilanirax within the Halls of the Temple of the Dragon Lord.

Dragons are gigantic winged reptilians with long necks and tails. The skin colour of the Dragon is dependent upon which sub-species it belongs to. The skin itself is worth huge amounts of money, up to 50 Gold Pieces a metre in a city[1]. All dragons can fly and most can speak a number of languages. The size of the Dragon is also dependent upon their type, although all are huge. In terms of their fighting attributes, all have claws and fangs and all use their breath as a weapon, although the substance and form of their breathing weapon is dependent upon their type.

In human terms Dragons are close to immortal and there are three distinct stages of maturity that are common to all of the senior draconian races:

Young Dragons: This ranges from hatchling to one hundred years of age. A Dragon in this stage can grow up to twelve metres in length and tend to have less patience than their older kin.

Adult Dragons: These venerable beasts are aged between one hundred and five hundred years. They can be up to twenty-five metres in length. Much of their time is spent sleeping and they are very rare indeed.

Old Dragons: It is believed that none now exist on the Earthly Plane and they have all moved to the Magical Planes. None have been encountered in living memory, or indeed for many hundreds of years. It is not known to what age they can live although it is rumoured that some of the very first dragons that took part in the First Battle are still alive.

Ancient Dragons: This term is sometimes applied to Old Dragons. However, some argue that this is a fourth grouping that applies only to the very first dragons created by Kilanirax himself.

These are what many scholars would refer to when they speak of Dragons. The majestic senior races are those from which the ancients are drawn. In seeking to have an understanding of the Dragons a good place to start would be their origins. The tale of the creation of the various Dragon types, as told by the priests of Kilanirax from the Temple of the Dragon Lord in Alkemis is laid out below. This largely apocryphal account is based upon the very brief mention of Kilanirax's creation of Dragons in both Titan - The Fighting Fantasy World and Night Dragon.

These are the most noble and powerful of the Dragons and the eldest race. As children inhabitants of Titan are told the story of the First Battle. The story, even in the shortened form used by priests to preach to the masses, gives an insight into the origin of the dragons. Of the forces of Good the stories mentions that: "Bringing up the rear were a host of gleaming golden Dragons, Glantanka’s own creations, prepared especially for the battle". But this needs further apocryphal elaboration. The priests of Kilanirax draw upon ancient texts, which give a much fuller account of the First Battle and the events leading up to it.

First, the battle was more than a single clash of armies on a given day. It was a series of long drawn out conflicts between the forces of Evil and those of Good. More than that, the inevitability of such a conflict had for long been known to many of the gods, who all had some measure of foresight. But none was more gifted in this respect than Glantanka. Her eyes were, and ever are, watchful. Glantanka had long before summoned to her Kilanirax, her greatest servant. He had not yet used that part of the Original Clay given to him, yet had for a long time been devising what he would create from it. Knowing his designs Glantanka imparted upon him her thoughts.

Thus it was that Kilanirax set about moulding the first of the Dragons, into which he placed some of himself as he had seen Logaan do with his little creatures. Glantanka looked upon the Dragons of Kilanirax and was pleased. She made their scales the colour of the sun and gave to the dragons the gift of fire for their breath.

Powerful indeed were these Dragons and rumour of their might soon spread amongst the gods who marvelled at their size and strength when they saw them. So impressed were some of the gods that they began to bend their thought towards using these dragons themselves for the Battle to come. Thus the seeds were sown for the birth of the other draconian races.[2]

Lunara was the first to approach Glantanka, for the deities of the Sun and Moon were siblings and close was their friendship. Lunara reasoned that the conflict to come would not be restricted to the light of day but would continue under the shroud of night. Therefore, Lunara’s plan was to create a Dragon more suited to the colder conditions of the night. Lunara could see that Kilanirax’s skill in the making of dragons could not be surpassed and thus beseeched Glantanka to allow Kilanirax to create these Dragons. Glantanka agreed to this. Once again Kilanirax placed within the new Dragon a part of himself, and this he would do with the first of each of the senior draconian races. Lunara gave to the dragon scales of silver to reflect the aspect of the moon. Lunara then gave the Silver Dragon the power to breathe cold flame, in keeping with the dragon’s adaptation to the colder conditions of the night.[3]

Then came Filash to see his sister also and demanded of her that he too should have Dragons in his service. After much debate Glantanka acceded and Kilanirax began to create Filash’s Dragon. Filash wished for his Dragons to be the most powerful draconian race, but his patience was short. In his haste he hurried Kilanirax and the full potential of the Dragons of the Fire God were not realised. Although still awesome the Red Dragons of Filash were in fact the least powerful of the senior draconian races. They also were imbued with much of Filash’s anger and resentment, and although not Evil, are a race prone to hostility[4].

The last greater fire breathing Dragon type was created by Kilanirax at the bequest of Galana. Seeking to protect the flora of Titan, Galana wished for a Dragon adapted to the forests. Thus, the Green Dragons came into being, whose skin was such that it blended in with their forest surroundings, and who, even today, still rarely leave their sylvan abodes.

It has been pointed out that of Green Dragons their fiery breath may be a handicap for a woods-dwelling creature. However, the natural cycle of fire being facilitated could well have been a forethought of Galana when requesting that this Dragon be created for her. It should be remembered that the fire breathe of a Green Dragon is very narrowly channelled (see Out of the Pit) and thus could be used with both discretion and accuracy, avoiding unwanted fires and potential loss of habitat.[5]

Although Silver Dragons had been created to thrive within the colder conditions of the night, Farigiss, the god of Ice, perceived that even they were not perfectly suited to the icy Northern wastes of Titan. Thus it was that he persuaded Glantanka to allow Kilanirax to create for him the White Dragons, which is capable of surviving temperatures prohibitive even to a Silver Dragon. He gifted these dragons with the ability to breathe powerful bursts of Ice at their foes and made their scales white so that they would blend in with the surroundings[6].

Lorodil, Lord of Volcanoes, consulted with his brother Verlang and concluded that the great conflict to come could possibly stretch down into the very depths of the earth. Thus he spoke with Glantanka and was granted leave to seek out Kilanirax’s services to create a Draconian Guardian of the deep caverns. Thus, the Black Dragons came into being for the colour of the scales was designed so that they would not be seen in the caverns and caves. Powerful were these beasts. But Lorodil knew that many of the battles they would face would be with beasts well adapted to the heat and fire of the bowels Titan. Upon these beasts fire would have less effect. Thus it was that the Black Dragons were given the power to breathe poisonous acidic gas rather than fire. Even today although Black Dragons may be seen in rough hilly terrain they still make their lairs in caverns, with adults sometimes occupying vast cavern complexes.[7]

Sukh, the Storm god, then came to Glantanka and declared that he wished for the services of Kilanirax proclaiming his desire to have a vanguard of mighty Dragons to accompany him into battle. The Dragon’s skin was blue and Sukh gave it the gift of lightning as its weapon. But Sukh became jealous of Kilanirax’s influence over his Dragons. Sukh wished them to revere him only, although he knew that Kilanirax had greater power over the Dragons than their patron gods. And so he banished Kilanirax from the Blue Dragons.

Thus it is that even today if a Conclave of Dragons is called all but the Blue will be present, for they are prevented from attending by ancient bonds imposed by Sukh. Rarely are Blue Dragons to be encountered for they seldom venture away from the utmost heights. There are rumours that a Blue Dragon serves Kuperan, the Fire Giant Monarch of the Twin Sun Desert in central Khul, North of the Scythera Desert and West of the Wastes of Chaos. If this is indeed true it makes the Twin Sun Desert a most remarkable place. Not only does the pre-eminence of Chaos there make it appear that there are two suns but also the desert plays host to a number of a very rare creatures not least of which are the Fire Giant and the Blue Dragon.[8]

Hydana created these beasts by taking Dragons from the surface world and adapting them for the sea. No leave was asked for, for that was not Hydana’s way. None were as skilled as Hydana in the ways of the sea, save perhaps for Ichthys, thus Kilanirax’s aid was not needed in adapting these Sea Dragons to their new environment and they were given shimmering blue and green scales to perfectly blend in with these watery surroundings. It is said that the Dragons taken by Hydana were those of his brother, the Storm God. They have talons of ivory, and although some have no breath weapon, it is said that some Sea Dragons can use electricity as their weapon.[9]

Kilanirax was most wise and saw beyond the glory of his creations. He saw also that aside from the gods, the biggest threat to the Dragons would be Dragons themselves. He also felt keenly the pain of those first few generations, for in them was a large part of himself, and though that part became diluted as the Dragons multiplied, the connection to each Dragon remained strong until the fourth generation. Thus it was that he decreed that no Dragon would attack another of the first four generations and that this law would be unbreakable, with no exception. These Dragons have ever after been referred to as the Ancients.[10]

Out of The Pit tells us that Silver Dragons are very jealous of their Gold cousins. The different Orders of the Priesthood of Kilanirax, have different tales as to why dependent to whom they are aligned.

The Chrysollian Order (those of the Golden Dragons) put it thus: All Dragons are noble beings claiming noble descent, for they all have some measure of the divine spirit of Kilanirax flowing through their veins, and thus all Dragons are worthy of admiration and respect. However, the Gold and Silver stand highest among the races but highest of all stand the Golden. For as Glantanka’s light outshines that of Lunara so do the Golden outshine the silver. It is this fact that the Silver Dragons have found hard to reconcile over the centuries. For although the stand high in the realm of dragondom they will never stand highest. To have been so close to the pinnacle for thousands of years has perverted their sense of pride in their nobility to a sense of envy for the position of their golden cousins.

The Order of Ariannaid (those of the Silver Dragons) differed entirely. Although they did want to be drawn on the subject, for it was one that once caused near schisms within the church of Kilanirax, they reasoned that the origins of the rivalry go back to the events of the First Battle. In common religious teaching we are told of the phalanx of Golden Dragons that obliterated many of the Chaotic and Evil troops of Death and his brothers. However, little is taught of the role of the other Dragons. The worst omission being that of the role of the Silver Dragons whose unswerving, unselfish loyalty throughout the battles, especially under the curtain of night, did much to undo the Chaotic army. Many died in those evil times but their praises were not sung so highly as those of the Gold.

Of the Red Dragon in the Legend of the Warlock of Firetop MountainEdit

Red Dragon

On the whole Red Dragons, although the least powerful of their kind are certainly not weak. They are formidable opponents and would strike fear into the hearts of most adventurers no matter their experience. In the case of the one we all have heard of in the famous tale of the defeat of Zagor in his mountain stronghold (in The Warlock of Firetop Mountain) it is believed that this Dragon was a very young Red Dragon. More than that, it had been denied the habitat to which it would have thrived, by being imprisoned inside the mountain fastness of Zagor. Thus its potential was seriously limited and it was a rather sick individual that the hero met or else the fate of the hero may well have been very different.[12]

I had assumed originally that they each related to a dragon, but it was rightly pointed out that it did not matter which artefact Malbordus would have used, he would have produced a Black Dragon.

I had pondered how these artefacts worked for a while. When speaking with the Priest of the Dragon Temple it became apparent that they were aware of this tale calling it ‘Dragon Master’. The knowledge of the spell’s content is known to few, and only the very highest echelons of the priesthood contain those who can perform the spell.

The summoning of the Dragon/s requires the use of ritual, the core to which is an idol or charm of some kind. Originally all the spells associated with the ritual were woven into the one charm. This process had a major flaw, however. The destruction of that one charm would mean the whole process would have been in vain.

An alternative approach was formed after decades of experimentation. To enhance the probability of the summoning ritual actually being performed a way was devised of dividing the spells woven into the one idol into five separate charms. However, the spell threads woven into the original one idol were delicate and relied on the existence of each other to maintain substance. When separated the spell threads became volatile. Thus, five separate materials were needed to encase specific spell threads. The five substances being: Gold, Silver, Bone, Crystal and Ebony.

The reasons for these five particular materials was never made clear to me, however I gleaned the following general observations: Gold and Silver have something to do with appeasing the spirits of the two most powerful houses of Dragondom. Bone (Dragon Bone) contains those spell threads specifically to do with the Dragon being summoned. Ebony contains certain spells aligned to appeasing the natural spirits of the area for disturbing the natural balance. The Crystal charm contains threads for a similar purpose to that of the Ebony, only this time appeasing the spirits of the Earth, as well as those of the Heavens, whose light is reflected in the crystal.

Incredibly, only one artefact is needed to perform the ritual. This one will draw upon those spell threads in the other four, so long as they are in a certain proximity. Hence all the charms were hidden in the same area around Vatos. Thus, even if a charm is destroyed, it does not matter because the spell threads associated with it will connect to those of the remaining charms in such a way as to avoid disruption. It is only by destroying all five artefacts that the over-spell is broken.

The spell is powerful but this added complexity requires a level of magical skill restricted to only the very highest practitioners of the art. Certainly High Dark Elven Sorcerers would have the potential for such a feat.

As to why Malbordus the Stormchild conjure a Black Dragon in particular out of them was also made apparent. The Ritual can be performed to summon any Dragon. The choice of Dragon, however, is determined when the charms are first created. The habitat of the Black Dragon would make it the type which Dark Elves would be most familiar, given their underground dwelling. The Sorcerers would have had this familiarity with the nature of the Dragon in mind when they created the charms.

But the study of dragons does go beyond the senior races. For populating Titan are a number of lesser races whose beginnings can be traced to Kilanirax. There are differences of opinion regarding the classifications and terms used in this field and perhaps this article will help add some clarity, although no doubt it will also serve to enflame opinion.[14]

For many these two terms are interchangeable. However, when used Drake more readily is applied to lesser Dragons i.e. those lesser draconian races. Thus the Ice Drake is a less powerful relative of the Ice Dragon. The Drakes are a less powerful variant of the Dragon but are a species in their own right evolved over the millennia very slightly to become smaller than the pure Dragons to cope better with certain environments. As an example the stature of a young White Dragon may well be similar to that of an adult Ice Drake.

In its pure form "Dragon" really only applies to the senior draconian races. However, as time has gone by it has been increasingly used as an umbrella term to encapsulate all the devolved draconian races.[15]

In essence this term now applies to all those of the Dragon family which breathe ice. Of the senior races this does not, therefore, include the Silver Dragons but does include the White Dragons. It also includes the lesser Dragons (Drakes) with this ability, all of whom are derived, in whole or in part, from White Dragons. The Xiau, for instance, are part of the Ice Dragon group, despite having connections with the Silver, because they are also related to the White.

In some lands "Ice Dragon" refers exclusively to the mighty White Dragon, and in its strictest sense this is correct. The connection is clear and the description makes sense because the White Dragon is an ice-breathing Dragon.[16]

Simply put, this term applies to all those Dragons which breathe Fire. There are three senior races (Red Dragons, Green Dragons and the Gold Dragons) which can breathe fire, and a host of lesser dragons also. Strictly "Fire Dragon" should only apply as a generic term to the three senior fire breathing races, with others being types of Fire Drake.

Fire Dragon is most often associated with the Red Dragon, however, and in some lands the term is exclusively applied to the Red Dragon (in the few stories we have of the increasingly known Unknown Land, for instance, Red Dragons are referred to as Fire Dragons).[17] This is made all the more understandable given the Red Dragons association with Filash. The dragon that attacked Kaad at the time of the re-emergence of Zagor was described as a Fire Dragon.[18]

Having learnt much of the senior Draconian races I also had many other dragon related questions to ask the priests of the temple, many of which having their source in discussions with fellow scholars in the Rebuilding Titan forum. I will not write out in detail a transcript of those conversations which resulted from my questions. Nor will I go into the answers of each and every question asked. However, what may be of interest is a summary of the answers I received when asking about specific dragon types that did not appear to fall into the main categories discussed above.

These are the largest of the Cold Drakes, and are found in the icy northern wastes of Allansia in particular. It is said that they are related to both Silver and White Dragons. This would have been a rare union indeed, no matter how far back, because it is almost unheard of for Dragons to cross breed.

Therefore they would fit underneath the "Ice Dragon" umbrella and in terms of power within the ice dragon hierarchy would be second only to the pure White Dragons.[19]

These dragons are small fire breathing dragons found only the region around Kazilik. They are a localised devolved strain of dragondom and despite being called Dragons would more strictly be considered fire drakes.[20]

The priests of Kilanirax are in agreement with the opinion of the High Priest of Hamaskis in that these animals do not naturally occur. They have only been recorded as wizards’ familiars and the evidence therefore points towards the theory that they are purely a product of a magical experimentation. I am unsure as to what the subject matter of this experiment would be and gleaned no guidance from the priests on this matter. Only that reports of these beings have been that they are almost perfect miniatures in every way of their larger counterparts and that such perfect detail would be hard to achieve if converting another animal into the form of a dragon. I would tend towards the idea that they are based on a Dragon or Drake hatchling.

There is another school of thought on this subject. It is possible that the very few pocket Dragons in existance are all due to the device called the Particle Blender. This was created by the Riddling Reaver. This device reduces whatever is put into it, into a concentrated powdered form. If water is added to that powder the creature returns to its original shape. If only some powder is used the creature will not revert to its original size. This is known to have happened to a Silver Dragon, the result being a perfect miniature Silver Dragon. This would be a proven way, therefore, to create Pocket Dragons.[21]

These have been described from the exceptionally rare accounts we have of our sister world Amarillia. This world is populated by many beings almost identical to those that are found on Titan, apparently. There is much debate as to how the two worlds are linked. Certainly it seems incredible that completely different gods would come up with such similar designs on two different worlds and there is a school of thought advocating that the two worlds have linked origins.

That is a debate for another day. For now, the question of the War Dragon should be addressed. Given that it has evolved on another world it would be hard to argue that it fits into a certain Titan category. Were it in Titan it would certainly be considered one of the senior draconian races. It is also a Fire Breathing Dragon, larger and more powerful than Red Dragons, but not as powerful as the Golden. Certainly, it is a formidable beast, but whether Kilanirax stakes claim to this animal only the gods know.[22]

In essence Tatsu is simply the Hachiman word for Dragon. Thus a Gold Dragon would be a golden tatsu etc. However, in Hachiman there is also the legend of the supernatural being who is simply called 'Tatsu'. This being is a wingless dragon, but with the power of flight. Attempts to kill it in battle will fail because it is immortal. It is possible that this is a demigod servant of the gods, perhaps a servant of Kilanirax himself. Other have gone so so far as to say that this is Kilanirax himself.

In the Forest of Shadows in Hachiman there is said to be a mystic clearing guarded by the Tatsu, whereupon a visitor will be asked a number of riddles. If these are answered correctly then the Tatsu will aid that visitor in some way, but woe betide those who answer incorrectly. (Tatsu are found in the following Fighting Fantasy publications: Sword of the Samurai
)

This beast is of an exceptional rarity, so much so that it is unclear as to whether it is a species or unique. It can best be described as a `cat like’ dragon. It has exclusively been seen in the Isles of the Dawn. There is a strong theory that the Sturramak is related to the Dracons in some way. Although very much more Dragon like than the Dracons there is evidence of the connection. Dracons, as will be explained later derive their existence from the union of a golden dragon (Chrysolla) with Rogaar, Lord of Lions. The Sturramak is golden in colour and has cat like features. It may be that the ancestors of the Sturramak are also those of the Dracons but at some later point one line broke off and bred with other dragons to retain a more draconian form. Alternatively the Sturramak may be a rare Dracon throwback displaying a greater proportion of the dragon-like side of the Dracons hereditary make up. (Sturramak are found in the following Fighting Fantasy publications: Black Vein Prophecy

This was the name given to a specific dragon which was vanquished during the time of Tantalon of Gallantaria. From the study of Gallantarian historical manuscripts it seems likely that the Brimstone Dragons are not a specific type. It appears that this dragon was either an adult or even an old Red Dragon. The dragon, despite its age, had not passed through its phase of hoarding treasure and at the time of Tantalon was plundering wealth from the Whitewater Valley of Gallantaria. Being a red dragon, this was not surprising behaviour.

This beast, however, was immensely powerful and only Tantalon's champion was able to bring up the courage to confront it. Even then that was with the aid of invisibility potion, and no fighting was involved. It is believed that the loss of its treasure caused the dragon to seek solace in the Dragon-sleep, and even now it still resides in the Cragrocks dormant, waiting.

This awesome beast was an ancient dragon of the Godtime. One of the first dragons to walk the face of Titan it is not known to which senior race it first belonged, although many argue that it may once have been a Golden Dragon. This Dragon was corrupted by the powers of Evil before the First Battle and was one of a number of Dragons to fight on the side of Death and his foul legions. Though evil and fighting against its own god the dragon was not killed by its brethren during the devastating exchanges of the war because Kilanirax would not allow the Unbreakable Law to be broken. (The Night Dragon is found in the following Fighting Fantasy publications: Night Dragon
)

Six massive stone dragons. These dragons are to all appearances just statues. However, their status as guardians of the city-state is not just founded in myth. The dragons were created magically, and should Zamarra be in dire need of defense the sentinels can be called upon to defend the city. If the fire they breathe has been extinguished it can only be restored to its former power using fire obtained from the white-hot core of the volcano known as the FANGS OF FURY. The Sentinels were last animated when Zamarra was under siege by Ostragoth the Grim in the service of the enchanter Jaxartes. (The Stone Sentinels are found in the following Fighting Fantasy publications: Fangs of Fury

This can be any dragon type, which has just died and has had its body brought back to life. In essence the Kragon is a zombie-like undead dragon. It is one of the rarest and most feared undead beasts. There is only one known written account of an encounter with such a beast, written by the sage Canastus who had the misfortune to witness a fight between a Kragon and five men in the wilds of the Flatlands of Allansia. He notes that all five were dead within thirty seconds.

The Kragon is created by a lengthy magical ritual involving the animation of a freshly dead dragon. They are difficult to control, retaining some semblance of the intelligence they had prior to death, although this is twisted into evil ways. It is said they only a Demon Prince will obtain any semblance of obedience from them and even then they are savage and unruly.

The Kragon's size and strength depends on its living predecessor. They do not have breathe weapons and they do not hoard treasure, they simply exist to kill. (Kragon are found in the following Fighting Fantasy publications: Warlock Issue 13
)

Like the Kragon above this is simply the reanimation of a dead dragon, but in this case obviously the process of decay has taken its toll and just the skeleton remains.

These fantstically rare creatures are of course undead and can be the remains of any dragon. They retain little if anything of their former selves and the power will be in direct proportion to the dragon they were before they decayed to just bones.

Reports of such beasts have reached us only in relation to journeys undertaken in pursuit of powerful magical beings for only those with the highest level of ability in the practice of dark magic have the skill to reanimate the full skeleton of such powerful animals as dragons. (Skeletal Dragons are found in the following Fighting Fantasy publications: Night Dragon
, Legend of Zagor
)

As mentioned above (within the Sturramak heading) these beasts were originally spawned by the union of Rogaar the Lord of Lions and the golden dragon, Chrysolla. Their offspring were numerous and their descendants exist today as Dracons (with possible offshoots such as the Sturramak).

Dracon

They have the bodies of enormous lions eith lionlike heads but the eyes and teeth of a Dragon. The Dracons are a race of beasts still incredibly proud of their heritage and still believe that they possess a measure of divinity. For a beast of such power andpotential ferociousness they are fastidious about good manners. The priests of Kilanirax revere these creatures also, holding Rogaar and Telak in high regard within their belief system. It is the priesthood of the Golden Dragons which hold ceremony in relation to the Dracons. (Dracons are found in the following Fighting Fantasy publications: Out of the Pit

The Wyrm are considered by the priests of Kilanirax to be the descendants of dragons punished by Kilanirax. The punishment consisting of the removal of the power of flight. Whether this is the truth of their origins, or whether they are an attempted imitation of the dragons by certain gods is not definite. The great work `Out of the Pit’ does allude to these beasts being related to dragons which would add weight to the claims of the Dragon Priests.

These beasts also possess the power to petrify beings with their gaze, a fact well known to the people of the Dragon ReachesNight Dragon
.

The Grey Mage once brought up the interesting question of whether or not they are possibly related to the largish Winged Serpent in the story of the ‘Magehunter’. This massive creature, from what the tale tells us, certainly did not rival dragons for size or strength. Nor did it appear to have its breath as a weapon in any way (neither fire, ice, lightening nor gas). The details of the creature are that its body was covered in iridescent scales and that it had wings of gauzy membrane. Strangely it also appeared to have forelimbs with large claws. We know that the Wyrm have no such limbs, and neither do serpents. It seems perhaps that this creature is something that does not fit into either Dragon or Wyrm categories.

Wyrm

The thing that has eluded many magicians when attempting to emulate the majesty of dragons is to imitate the dragon’s ability to breathe fire. Thus, the ability to do so in Wyrm, Wyvern, Lizardine etc adds much credence to the belief that these creatures owe their origins in some part to Dragonkind. In the case of the Flying Serpent the fact that it cannot leads to the suggestion that its origins lie with mortal attempts to copy Kilanirax.

Wyrm are found in the following Fighting Fantasy publications:Out of the Pit

Again, the origins of this beast is unclear. The beast is formidable, and has been referred to as the two legged dragon. The priests of Kilanirax have no clear doctrinal guidance in respect of the Wyvern’s origin and in this question are divided in opinion. The three main schools of thought are as follows. The first two schools of thought predicate theories on the belief that the Wyvern is closely related to dragons. The first of these states that the Wyvern springs from an early devolved branch of the dragon line, sling its front limbs as a matter of adaptation. The second, that the Wyvern is the result of a curse placed upon an early dragon for a reason now lost in the mists of time. The third main school of thought is that the Wyvern was in fact created by another god, who tried to imitate Kilanirax’s work with some measure of success, but could not reach the same level of glory as the Dragon God.

Wyverns are found in the following Fighting Fantasy publications: Out of the Pit

The note sub-type is slightly misleading because the Fog Wyvern is a beast not found in Titan but in our sister world of Amarillia. From those rare accounts we have of this animal, it is similar to Wyverns of Titan. The difference being that this beast has adapted itself to hunt in the fog. As to whether it locates itself in predominantly foggy areas, or indeed can create its own fog, I cannot say.

This beast is a most powerful foe and if stories are to be believed is more powerful than a wyvern of Titan.

Fog Wyverns are found in the following Fighting Fantasy publications: Legend of Zagor

Despite its name this creature is not of the draconian family at all. It bears a faint resemblance to dragons and is a fearsome opponent, and this is where its name has been derived from. The very mention of this creature as a Dragon enraged a number of the priests to whom I spoke, believing that it was sacrilege to associate this beast with Kilanirax.

Mud Dragon

The assumption that it is some kind of Chaos-afflicted Giant Lizard is one that I would find no cause to argue with except to say that this creature is a one off. The chaos affliction happened many generations ago and the Mud Dragon is now a species in its own right, to be found in damp places such as Swamplands, wallowing within a miasma of decay. Whatever the origins of the Mud Dragon, they certainly do not have anything to do with Dragons. (Mud Dragons are found in the following Fighting Fantasy publications: Warlock Issue 5

I was most impressed by the entries in the Grey Mage's work "The People’s of Titan" concerning the Lizardine and the Dragonmen. The notes as to their origin are most interesting and I would concur that it is likely that these two races have sprung from the same source.

Dragonman

When I posed the question of the origin of the Lizardine to the Priests of Kilanirax I was met with silence. The subject appeared to be taboo and I did not pursue it further, verbally. However, my interest was piqued by the wall of silence and my consequent digging around in the archives did produce some finds which could possibly add some light to the mystery of their origins. Be forewarned that what I found was inconclusive and any meaning I have taken from it is purely speculative. The evidence to which I refer is the smallest of passages contained within an otherwise indecipherable scroll:

Were the lessons of the tale of Gwarthran not learnt. That her obsession with the unification of the two races was borne of her devotion to Kilanirax cannot be denied. But the results of her obsession led to Gwarthran and her followers being shunned by both the world of men and of dragons, condemning them to a loveless existence, save if they loved themselves. Never again should the disciples try to master their Master’s work.Non-canon

Gwarthran, it appears, was a Khulian priestess within the church of Kilanirax many hundreds of years ago in the area now known as Zamarra. It appears from the above that she attempted something to create a unification of the two races. Whether this was a political unification or a biological union I cannot say for certain. But the reference to mastering the Master’s work lends weight, in my mind, to the latter. Perhaps then the priesthood does not talk of the issue because they are at the heart of it and wish to deny knowledge of the incident. (Lizardine are found in the following Fighting Fantasy publications: City of Thieves

The Stalkers are reptiles, mutated Dragon hatchlings stolen and distorted by magic.[23] These words were given by the Dragon Conclave of the late third century AC convened to debate the threat of the Night Dragon.

The Cult of the Night Dragon had a number of powerful mages within its ranks, some of whom may have been drawn from the priesthood of Kilanirax. The priesthood denies such stories but the level of knowledge that the Mages showed could have only have been gained through some reference to the archives of the Dragon Temples.

Some of these mages set about creating draconian guardians, which they could control, to at first scare away prying eyes from their activities in the Dragon Reaches, and later to form the basis of a Chaotic Army to sweep through Allansia, and then Titan.

From the tales we have been told of the story of the hero who vanquished the threat of the Night Dragon it appears that a number of different types of Stalker existed. It also appears that the different types of Stalker were created from the different types of dragon. Thus we come across Black Stalkers, White Stalkers, Red Stalkers and Green Stalkers.

No Gold or Silver stalkers were encountered. This is not to say that they did not exist, but it is likely that the Silver and Golden Dragons young were less easy (easy being a relative term amongst dragons of course) to abduct.

These stalkers were described as having reptilian heads with massive fanged mouths and powerfully muscled arms ending in huge four fingered claw hands (sharp as steel and heavy as a rock)[24]. These beasts stood between two and two and half metres tall.

There appears to have been a further type of Stalker encountered: the Bone Stalker. The difference between the two types in appearance was that the very flesh of these beasts appeared to be decaying and falling off them so that their sinews and bone could be seen underneath. The difference between the Stalkers and Bone Stalkers in origin seems to have been that Stalkers were mutated into a more humanoid form from Dragons Hatchlings, whereas Bone Stalkers appeared to be an attempt to fuse the two races (with less success than with Lizardine centuries before).

The Stalker-Mage was also referred to as a Bone-Stalker and we know that he was once human. A normal Bone Stalker was less skilful than a Stalker but more powerful. A Bone stalker champion was more skilful and powerful still. The Bone Stalker-Mage was the most powerful of all. He was also the Head of the cult and no doubt was the main instigator of the mutations. Certainly dedicated to his cause he mutated himself but was powerful indeed, standing three metres tall. Note that not all priests within the cult went so far as to mutate and mutilate themselves.

Stalkers are found in the following Fighting Fantasy publications: Night Dragon